


A Reflection of The Past

by Flaffs_Multiversal_Mindsoup



Series: A Way Or Two To Fall In Love, [4]
Category: Hilda (Cartoon)
Genre: (maybe?) - Freeform, Alfur didn't have good parents, Angst and Fluff, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, I'm kinda venting here but I think it's good, I'm really having a fun time with the angst huh, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Neglect, M/M, Mentions of neglect, Oneshot, Short, basically normal Alfur/Bartell but they've known each other since they were angsty teens, binders, don't bind for more than six hours PLEASE, mentions of abuse, oh fuck I can't believe I forgot, poor Alfur, rated for child abuse and neglect, technically, teen!Alfur, they have phones and text each other lol, trans!Alfur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:48:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29988630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flaffs_Multiversal_Mindsoup/pseuds/Flaffs_Multiversal_Mindsoup
Summary: Alfur usually never held a grudge, but he has a hard time forgiving his parents for what they did to him just because he was himself, a guy.Bartell is always there to lend and ear and some kind words.
Relationships: Alfur & Bartell, Alfur (Hilda) & Bartell (Hilda), Alfur (Hilda)/Bartell (Hilda), Alfur Aldric & Bartell Bragga, Alfur Aldric/Bartell Bragga, Alfur/Bartell
Series: A Way Or Two To Fall In Love, [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2098890
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	A Reflection of The Past

**Author's Note:**

> I had some surgery today and wrote some notes about what I was feeling/thinking about while waiting for it. This is what happens when I decide it would be a good idea to make this into an Alfur/Bartell fanfic.

Alfur felt his phone ringing at the side of his bed. He picked it up, an alarm. It read "Binder Check" simple and easy, incomprehensible to most people.

Alfur and a few of his close friends weren't most people. He sat up, dismissing his alarm and stretching the best he could. He should do that now, and there's no point to keeping this up because he doesn't have anything else to do today, but he wanted to keep it on for just a bit longer.

His reasonable side won in the end, and he unbuttoned his tunic in the dark of his room. 

He pulled at the straps of his binder, struggling to pull it off. Finally freeing himself, his chest breathed a sigh of relief along with the rest of him. 

Alfur collapsed on his bed again, shuffling to throw a shirt on and get comfortable under the covers.

He hated how he looked without his binder, but he understood that he needed to take it off and take a break. Bartell worried about his health enough already.

Alfur laid in his bed, thinking about the past and how he got here. He smiled at the thought of his friends and his boyfriend, supporting him every step of the way.

But then Alfur thought about his parents, and the screaming matches. He spiraled into memories of starving because his parents didn't teach him to cook while they went to fancy restaurants. He remembered the last time he saw them, when he was disowned and left on the street to fend for himself.

And he silently wept at the thought of how they pretended to care and love for him. How they paraded him around as the perfect child when all he felt was broken on the inside. He remembered the worst part of it all, how they gave him small touches when they tried to comfort him for things the caused.

That touch, it stings whenever he's are graced with it. It stings when it's someone you despise. He knows that he can't move, that he can't shake them off, so he doesn't. They give him any sort of touch and it stings from the active hate his body has towards that person.

And Alfur hated thinking about his parents, about his past when he never thought he would make it past twenty.

His phone buzzed, shouting at him to get out of his thoughts. He rolled over to pick it up, and found it was a text from Bartell.

He opened it up, unable to recall what they were talking about.

_"Alfur, I can see that your afraid. But you work so hard to be better than your parents and you've shown that you are a completely different person than them. You care for me and everyone close to you. Alfur I love you and I know that you try your absolute best to improve yourself, and I love that about you. You inspire me to better myself."_

Alfur was surprised to see that, he had no clue what he was talking about and as he scrolled up everything became clear. 

Hours ago, before he had even left for work, Alfur got a letter from his parents after years of no contact. He had typed a long paragraph while venting and sent it to Bartell. The other probably just saw it, seeing as both of them were incredibly busy nowadays.

Alfur reread the text, trying to find a good way to respond to Bartell.

_"Have you ever walked through a parking lot behind someone? Right when snow has started to fall and the concrete has been covered in a thin layer of water. Have you ever noticed the prints that person leaves behind? Have you ever noticed how the water mixes with the dirty concrete and stains the footprint with dark spots? That's how it feels to grow up with parents after you figured out they neglect you._

_And because you walk behind them, you eventually notice the dark stains on their actions, on their very being. And you wonder if you can ever break free from them, if you can ever forge your own path instead of continuing to follow their footsteps._

That's why I'm so afraid of being free. I don't know if I can stop the cycle and that scares me."

Alfur stared at his phone. _Yeah that was a vent_ , he thought. He typed Bartell a quick reply about how he just was venting and how much he appreciates his kind words. Sending a heart, he closed the conversation and thought that that was that.

A few minutes later, his phone buzzed once again.

_"I mean it Alfur! I love you and will tell you how much better you are compared to your parents as many times as I need to."_

He snorted, Bartell always seemed to say the right thing every time.

_I guess that's why I fell in love with this man huh?_

**Author's Note:**

> I think this is pretty out of character, but it's a trans teen AU so I get some free reign.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this small fic!


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